Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Luster by Raven Leilani

13 reviews

mlovesbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Lo más interesante para leer era la relación y las interacciones entre la protagonista y Rebeca.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Racism

bookishplantmom's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a very compelling book. I thought the prose was really beautiful in some passages. I loved the overall tone of the story. This sort of hazy, gritty, slice of life approach to storytelling can be very engaging when done well. And it is done well here in my opinion. The characters are flawed and messy which made them feel very authentic. I found the story engaging and at times really gut wrenching. The characters in this book really go through it in some cases. The one thing I wish is that there had bit a little more emphasis on mental health. It was clear to me that many of the characters were deeply traumatized and at no point does the story speak to how mental health is something that requires as much attention and care as physical health. This book is really powerful in some aspects and is a bit of a gut punch at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Police brutality

Moderate: Chronic illness, Racism, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Fatphobia, and Sexual assault

ashleyxx8's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Miscarriage

luisagerdsmeyer's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Police brutality and Suicide

mekaylynn's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Infertility, Eating disorder, Suicide, Infidelity, Cursing, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

bookwormkatie's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

armontheroad's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

LUSTER was 240 pages of pure brilliance. I don’t think it’s possible for me to compile my thoughts on this book. This novel reminded me a lot of QUEENIE but in a US setting. If you’re interested in stories about young Black women making bad choices and just trying to get through life, I would highly recommend these two. LUSTER is a commentary on trauma. I do not suggest it lightly!! It being queer was also a pleasant surprise.

CWs/TWs: Sexual content, eating disorder behavior, calorie counting, racism, car accident, depression, abortion, ableist language, self-harm, childhood sexual assault, blood, police brutality, domestic abuse, fatphobia, sexual harassment, medical content, body gore, suicide, PTSD, racial slurs, body dysmorphia, TERF language, animal death, animal cruelty, miscarriage, blood, etc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Fatphobia, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Body horror, Suicide, Misogyny, Sexual content, Abortion, Self harm, Animal death, and Miscarriage

avacate9's review

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Pregnancy, Racism, Self harm, Abortion, Addiction, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

karsyn's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A very powerful literary fiction about intimacy and a woman desperately trying to be seen 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Physical abuse and Sexual violence

biancaaabrown's review

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I think this book was definitely a challenging read, not lexically at all but semantically. It hurts to see a somewhat innocent woman in pain, especially when black. Raven Leilani writes raw, and doesn’t hold back and almost prods too sharply into your own wounds as a young black woman. Leilani frames city life as fearsome, love as hopeless and unrequited on all ends, and sadness as an inevitable border around all of the above. The fiction of this text is its own hope in my life at least, but a distant cry goes out to those for which this is less fictional.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Classism, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Infidelity, Addiction, Abortion, Violence, Police brutality, Miscarriage, and Drug use